Consider the following statements : 1. Attorney General of India and Solicitor General of India are the only officers of the Government who are allowed to participate in the meetings of the Parliament of India. 2. According to the Constitution of India, the Attorney General of India submits his resignation when the Government which appointed him resigns. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2 ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• Statement 1 is wrong: under Article 88 the Attorney General has the right to speak and take part in the proceedings of either House and its committees (without a vote); the Solicitor General has no such right, and ministers who are members participate as members — so the AG and SG are not 'the only officers'.
• Statement 2 is wrong: the Constitution says only that the AG holds office during the pleasure of the President (Article 76); by convention the AG resigns when the Government changes, but this is not a constitutional requirement.
• Hence neither statement is correct, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 only
- Statement 1 is wrong: the SG has no right to participate in Parliament.
- (b) 2 only
- Statement 2 is wrong: resignation on change of government is a convention, not a constitutional rule.
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- Both statements are wrong.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.